Toy locomotive



Aug. 26, 1930'. M. CARUSO I TOY lLocorao'rv Filed sept; 1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (ii-ii Tltlfndnll. l

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INVNTOR com y ATTORNEY Aug. 26, 1930. M. cARuso TOYl LOCQMOTIVE Filed sept. 1, 192e 2 Sheets-ShawlI 2 n INVENroR n) Z necessary. jf

Y i?atemed Aug.' 26, 1930.

MARIO oARUso, on IRVINGTON, NRW JERsEY,1Ass1GNOR To Tnn LIONEL ooRPoRA--V TION, or Niiw YORK, N. Y., -A CORPORATION OF NRW YORK TOY `IioooMoTIvE Application mea september 1, 1925s. serial No. 303,425." i'

The present invention relates'A to toy'loco- Vmotives and is more 'particularly.directedy ytoward electric locomotives usedfor operating toy railroad trains. l j y u In a previous'l l. led application Serial Number 273,075, ined April-2c, 1928, there;

was disclosedin detail two forms'of knocked down Aelectrical toys either of whichr were capable of ready'assembly intoeither a pow- '."Lf er plant for a toy locomotive, or into apower.

plant of general utility' for driving toy tools andthelike. The present invention' contemplates r an improved form of construction by means of which such an assembled motor unit" may be fastened in the locomotive frame.

According to the present invention, this Vmethod of fastening these two partstog'ether contemplates a quick detachable connection characterized by the absence of' parts likely to be lost Ormisplaced and which can notgetout of order. Infaddition, no toolsare down locomotive shown'in thev applicationv above referred to provisions were made' for` l connecting 'the velectricY controller (forV stal-5 5 ing', Vstoppin'g'and reversing themotor)` to the headlights by means of wires. According` to the present, invention, thelocomotive is provided'with quick detachable connections bymeans of which the locomotive headlights will vbe automatically connected 'when the motor, locomotive frame, and locomotive .tive housing and carrying a contact so located as to be engageable with a corresponding contact of the electric controller forthemo tor. rlvhesev contacts are brought infengagef" ment by the mere act of assembling thehousf ing, frame, vand 'motor unit.

The accompanying drawings show, `for In the form of construction of the knocked y lployedz. rEhe showing of 4thepresent invenpurpo'ses: of illustratinglthe .present invention,one ofthe many possible embodiments in .which it may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative Of'- the invention rather than limiting theisalme. Inthese drawings:

, Figure 1 1s a central lsectionalqview through a toy electric motor, parts ofther motor being omitted for clcarness, this view being-'takenjin the directionI of thelarrows 1 of' Figure 2,"and approximately ontheline j 1-1 of Figure 42;

Figure 2 is an inverted.planjvievvvofja"toyy Y l locomotive; and` Figure 8 is a fragmentary ytop plani vieWj illustrating the relation ofthe headlighty con-v nections with the controller; y w thepresent invention, the same is shown :is-being embodied For purposes of illustrating in the form of lalmockedfidown locomotive shown in the above mentioned application.' It will be understood of course that` the same is merelyV a. convenientform` of lconstruction with'which thepresent invention'may beein-l type of locomotiveconstruction is merelv for convenience for the` inventionis capable of. i

general application with motors designed fon factoryassembly only. i i

i In ythetorm of construction shown the' drawings, the locomotive has a stamped sheet metalv Jframe 10 of more or lessconventional Y shape vand a housingor cover 11' so that the completedy toy locomotive -may v`resemble :standard full sized llocomotives used on electric railroads. This' cover k`orhousing i and frameare secured together in the usul manner by screws indicated at'12. f

Ashere shown, the parts ofthe `propulsion unit are Vassembled on' 'as ubframe. Thisf y frame is inthe form of two'plates 14 andjl and suitable cross members 4or spacers 16,

17, 18, 19 and 20. The propulsion unit-may include traction wheels. 21 carriedonavalesy g 21v inthe usual manner4 and driven by gears 2 2 and 23 which lare in mesh withv a pinion f (not shown). carried on the kendfof the'ar'matureishalft 24 of the motorlnot shown)Y 4.00*

The power unit'also includes current collecting rollers 25 adapted tocooperate with the third rail of the toy railroad track in the usual rent toV amotorcontroller and' brushv riggingV -unit indicated at 28.

This controller unit may employ an insulating plate 29 secured to the side plate-14 Vof the propulsion unit. The controller and lbrush rigging unit, as here shown, is provided with a strip or connectionBO having an outwardly extending foot "Blengageable with the springp'ressed plunger 27. This strip 30 is connected tocontroller 32 andbrush rig- .203

ging 33 in a suitable manner to `permitthe controller to start, stop and reverse `the propulsion motor. The details of construction of, these partsy may be varied to suit the conditions. 1

In the form of construction here shown, the

Lipper endof the strap is provided with a horizontally extending member'34 preferably Vbrought intothe center ofthe locomotive. v It will' be apparent that the member 84 will be energized whenever the locomotive is on 'energized`track. This projection 34 is piovided for the purpose of providing suitable 'c connections for headlights orether accessories carried' by or connected to thelecomotive. c l In the forni of` construction here shown, the headlight's'40 are of thetype shown in Patent Number 1,672,871 although any other` suitable forni of construction maybe employed. The form of connector employed byv thisv type of headlight includes a conducting strip 41 and a pair of insulating strips 42 and l,43. These strips are fastened ,togetherl and areiinse'rtible through a rdownwardly opening sl'otor passageway 44 in the socket 40. lVhen the-.connector is in place as indicatedinV the drawings, aeontact 'is centerof'the lamp` base. Y

` As here shown, the conducting strip 41 is bent to provide a horizontal portion 45 which provided for the carries lugs or projections 46. These lugs or projections passA 4through Vcorrespondingly placed holes 47 iin-a bar or rod 4,8, 'and maybe @rightly bent to prevent removals This bar or rod is preferably made of metal and may conveniently be in the vform of' a channel shaped stamping. It is thezproper length 'to support the two connectors for the lamp sockets. i It willordinarily be disposed centrally in the locomotive `cover near the roof.

" Thisbar islprovided with a contact 49,. engageable with thelfixed contact 34 carried by the` controller uniti.l l'Ihevcontact 49 may, Aif Vde'- `siredpbe in thef'ormfvo-f a y spring pressed plunger carried. ink a housing, as indicated.

The current celf The bar 48 may have extra sets of holes 47 as indicated in Figure 2 so as to adapt the bar for use in locomotives whose housings are of different length.

rIhe conducting bar 48 and the connector suliicientfriction between the parts to held .the bar in place and the form of construction illustrated is such that there is suficient flexibility or play in the parts so that no difficulty arises in assembling the same.

The drawings also show a quick detachable connection for supporting the propulsion unit the locomotive frame. As here shown this quick detachable means is in the form of two swinging levers and G1 pivoted at 62and 63 on cross plates 64 and 65 fastened to the frame 10. These plates have extensions 641 and 65a against which the spacers or cross members 16 and 18 of the propulsion unit subfra-ine are adapted to be brought, these extensions passing in between plates 14 and 15 of the subframe so as to align the propulsion unit. The swinging levers 60 and 61 are adapted to pass underneath these cross members 16 and 18 and may, if desired, have projections 66 adapted to enter into depressions 67 in the cross members 1G and 18.

In assembling the locomotive, the headlight connections are inserted in place in the lhousing so as to connect the sockets with the into position indicated in fulllines to secure theunit in place.

In order that it will be impossible to assemble the propulsion unit improperly, a projection 68 extends inwardlyy from one side of the vframe 10 so as to interfere with the insertion of the controller part of the propulsion unit. Y

7h1le in the drawings two levers GO and 61 are shown as being fastened on the propulsion, unit, it will be apparent that one end of the locomotive may be provided with a fixed member to receive a cross member of the propulsion unit. The other end may be fastened in by a swinging lever or other suitable. quick detachable means.

It is obvious that the invention may be lle.

i au

embodied in many forms and constructions,

. u l a .l forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not limit myself in any` way with, respect thereto.

YW'hat is claimed is:

l. A toy electric locomotive having a cover, grounded lamp sockets carried thereby, a

' quick detachable current supply Contact for each socket, and a carrier bar to which each Contact is attached, the carrier bar, being ,supported by the contacts ,in apredeterinined position inside the cover when the contacts l are in attached position. Y

2.' A toy electric locomotive-having a cover, grounded lamp sockets carried thereby, a

quick detachable current supply contact for each socket, a carrier bar to lwhich each con? tact is attached, the carrier bar being supported by the contacts in a predetermined position inside the cover when the contacts are in attached position, a supporting iframe,

and an insulated contact carried thereby in a position to be connected with the bar when ythe cover is placed in position on the rame.

3. In 'aztoy locomotive, in combination, a pair of headlight sockets carried by a locomotive cover, a current supply contact Vfor Veach socket, and arigid member electrically y interconnecting the contacts Vand having'a fixed position when the contacts are in place. 4. In a toy locomotive, in combination, a

pair of headlight sockets carried by a loco-I motive cover, a current supplycon'tact-oreach socket, a rigid member electrically'k iiiterconnecting thecontacts and having a xed position when the contacts are in place, a propulsion motor mountedin a frame andV having a current collecting device and a controller associated therewith, andV a fixed i contact carried by the controller and engageable withA the rigid member when the cover isA mounted on the frame.

5. A toy electric locomotive having a cover,

upon the assembly of the units on the motor frame, acover, a pair of head lamp sockets carried by the'cover, a quick detachable current supply lead for eachhead lamp socket,

yand a device supported byk said current sup@ ply leads in position to velectrically connect the sockets with the controller.

8. In a toy locomotive, a cover, a pair fof oppositely facing head lamp sockets grounded on the cover and having downwardlyl opening contact receiving slots, a vcurrentsupply contact insertible into'each slot toprovide a central socket terminal, each contact having insulation to vseparate it from the socket structure, and a bar extending fromvone contact to the other. 1

9. In a toy locomotive, a cover, a pair of oppositely facing head lamp sockets grounding contact receiving slots, a current supply "contact insertible into leach slot to provide a .ed on the cover and having downwardly opened to act as a'cu'rrent Vsupply contact for ak head light connector.

Signed at New York, in the county of NewYork and State ofNew York, this 30th day of August, 1928. c i

Y y `MARIO CARUSO.

grounded lamp sockets carried thereby, a p quick detachable current supply contact for each socket, a carrier bar to which each contact is attached, the carrier bar being supported by the contacts in a Vpredetermined position inside the cover when thecontacts.

are in attached position, running gear adapte ed to support the locomotive on tracks, a curf rent collecting device, anda'iixed coiitactconnected to the current collecting device and disposedy in position to be engageable with'the rigid member for supplyingcurrent to the lamp sockets when the cover is in place.

6. In a toy locomotive, a -cover carrying headlight sockets,-a framecarrying a pro- 'l pulsion motor, current collecting contacts and an yexposed headlight terminal, and a rigid insulatively supported headlight'supply lead carried by the cover in position to engage the exposedL terminal when the cover is place on the frame. f

7. In a toy locomotive, a locomotive frame, a motor assembly including a motor frame,

current collecting unit, and a motor controller v unit, said units having contacts juxtaposed Yfor establishing connection forthe controller vien f 

